Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-08-26
Gen. Butler and Mrs. Mumford.

Gen. Butler and Mrs. Mumford.
One of the most notable events OF
the War was the hauling down OF the
federal flag By Mumford in New Or
leans after the city had surrendered.
For this daring act Mumford was
hanged by the order OF Gen. Butler.
The affair created the widest excite
ment throughout the South. The
dead man was regarded as hero; and
Buffers conduct was considered bru-
tai in the extreme. '<"<, @
From time to time since the war It
has been vaguely intimated that But
Ter was In danger of being assassina
by one OF Mumfords sons, and more
than once imaginative newspaper cor
respondents have described the gener.
ais efforts to escape from his relent.
less foe.
Now all this seems probable, and
yet there is not a word OF truth in it..
During all these years Butler has re-
manned silent, although the publica-
ton OF the facts in the case would
have reflected the highest credit upon
him. A few weeks ago a gentleman
saw newspaper statement to the al
feet that Butler had obtained a clerk
ship Tor Mumtord's widow. Thinking
that there might be an interesting sto.
ry connected with it he wrote to the
general for further information But
ler's reply will be a revelation to many
people.
It appears that in 1868 he learned
that Mrs Mumiord was iu Was hington
in great distress. An interview took
place and the lady stated that SUBJ
scrlption raised for her benefit by the
southern people had been invested in
a little homein Wytheville Va. There
was a carpenters lein on the house,
and it was difficult for the family to
get along. Butler at once paid off the
lien and obtained a clerk-ship for Mrs.
Mumford in the internal revenue bu.
reau. During the Hayes administra-
ton she was turned out. Butler went
to Postmaster General Key and laid
the whole matter before him, and Sc
cured a place for the unfortunate om-
an in his department, which she held
until her death.
In conclusion, the general writes:
II saw in the southern newspapers
not unfrequently that she was bringing
up her children and instructing them
IN vendetta against me. In.
deed, it went SO far that when I was
at the Chicago convention in "a it
was published in Chicago that there
was a son of Mumford's en- route from
some western territory to kill me in
revenge for his fathers death, and I
was advised by my friends to take
great care to let no strange man get
near me. told them if I lived until
some one OF Mrs. Mumford's children
killed me J. should reach ripe old ag,,
and laughed at that foolishness as l
have occasion to laugh at much other
newspaper nonsense.
IL may be permitted to say further
that there is a great change of feeling
apparently come over the southern
people in regard to my being justified
IN the execution OF Mumford for haul.
ing down the American flag, because
saw a letter OF Gov. Fitzhugh Lee,
when speaking of the return OF the con-
federate flags proposed by the Presi-
dent, in which he winds up by saying:
If any man hauls down the American
flag let him be shot on the spot
This little chapter OF war his
tory is as interesting as anything
that has yet appeared in print. One
kind action does not make q man a
saint, but it should bepassed up to his
credit. What Tom Reed said about
John A. Logan will apply we'll to Ben
Butler: "Ie is so id human!'-
Atlanta Constitution.